1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a conductive skin material of vehicle interior equipment and a manufacturing method for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-234716 (JP-A-2006-234716) describes a woven fabric that has a conductive wire material and a conductive member that is able to conduct electric power to the conductive wire material. The conductive wire material is formed of a conductive fiber, such as a stainless fiber and a carbon fiber, and a layer of a nonconductive fiber (insulating layer, such as cotton and polyester) that coats the conductive fiber. Then, the conductive wire material is used as warp yarn and weft yarn to weave a woven fabric, and then the conductive member is electrically connected to a connected portion of the conductive wire material. The intersections of the warp yarn and the weft yarn function as capacitors because of an intervening insulating layer between the adjacent conductive fibers. This woven fabric may be, for example, used as a skin material of a vehicle seat. Then, the capacitances of the intersections (capacitors) are measured while the woven fabric, which serves as the skin material, is supplied with current. By so doing, it is possible to detect the presence, or the like, of an occupant on the seat.
Incidentally, in the technique described in JP-A-2006-234716, the conductive wire material is coated with the insulating layer. For this reason, it is necessary to remove the insulating layer from the connected portion of the conductive wire material before the conductive member is connected to the connected portion, so connecting work for the conductive member may take time. Then, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-227384 (JP-A-2007-227384) describes a woven fabric that is usable as a heater. This woven fabric is formed of nonconductive thread (main fiber material, such as an insulating fiber) and conductive thread (conductive wire material). The nonconductive thread serves as a major component. This conductive thread is a conductive wire material that is able to generate heat when supplied with current. The conductive thread is, for example, made of metal, alloy, a conductor made of a conductive plastic, or a carbon fiber. Then, the conductive wire material is used for part of warp yarn or weft yarn to weave a woven fabric, and then a conductive member is electrically connected to a connected portion of the conductive wire material. At this time, the conductive member is thermally welded or stuck to the woven fabric. Thus, the conductive wire material may be directly connected to the conductive member.
However, in the related art, for example, the nonconductive thread, which serves as a major component of the woven fabric, interferes with contact between the conductive wire material and the conductive member, so connectivity between the conductive wire material and the conductive member may deteriorate.